Lightningtail
by Amelia Bright
Summary: DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

~Prologue~

A gray tabby she-cat lay in a mossy nest. Her mate, a large orange tom, paced nervously. She would give birth to her kits any minute now, and she was worried.

"Flame," she meowed, "Will my kits be okay?"

Flame purred, "Don't worry, Willow. They'll be beautiful, just like you."

Willow didn't respond. Her stomach convulsed. She let out a sharp yelp of pain.

"The kits!" she gasped.

Flame instantly crouched down to her level. She cried out again as another spasm rippled through her. He gently licked the top of her head and whispered, "You'll be okay. It will all be worth it when it's said and done, I promise."

After about an hour, Willow had finally given birth to three kits. One was a large orange tom, like his father, with big white paws.

"Thunder," she named him, purring.

There was also a small gray tabby she-cat, like herself, with black flecks.

"Pepper," Flame decided.

The last was a white tom, with a kinky ginger tail. Willow smoothed down his spiky fur.

"Lightning," she whispered.

Willow could tell that her kits would move on to do great things. They would be known throughout the forest. She looked at Thunder, whose broad orange head rested on his paws, eyes closed. A voice seemed to whisper in her ear, _He will be a great leader._

Willow's gaze shifted to Pepper. The voice spoke again, _She will die for one she loves._

She let her eyes settle on her last kit, Lightning. His crooked tail twitched. The voice returned one last time, _He will be a hero._

Willow shivered. What was in store for her kits?


	2. Chapter 1

"Come on Lightning, open your eyes!" Thunder whined. He battled my ear with his paw.

"Willow, is there something wrong with him?" Pepper asked sweetly.

My mother sighed, "No, there's nothing wrong with him. Some kits just open their eyes later than most."

I felt a tail brush my shoulder. Flame whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, Lightning. You can open your eyes whenever you want."

Slowly, I opened my eyes. My sight was blurry at first, but it soon cleared up.

"Whoa!" Thunder exclaimed, "Lightning, your eyes are silver!"

He backed away, and he tripped over his own big white paws, tumbling to the ground. I turned to Pepper. Her green eyes widened.

"Thunder's right," she meowed, "His eyes are silver."

"Let me look," Willow directed, squeezing through. She stared at my face for a long moment. Her eyes were green, like Pepper's.

"The kits are right," she announced.

"Lightning, can you see?" Flame asked. His amber eyes were worried.

"Of course," I replied, tilting my head to the side.

Thunder padded back over. "Prove it!" he yelped, "What do I look like?"

"Why did you ask if I could see, Flame?" I asked my father, ignoring Thunder.

"Cats with silver eyes are usually blind," he explained.

Willow sighed sadly, "It's true. My brother, Blizzard, had silver eyes, and he was blind."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"He was killed by a fox," Willow meowed, "He never saw it coming." Her ears flattened against her head, and her tail drooped. Flame touched his nose to hers in order to comfort her.

I could feel Thunder and Pepper playing with my tail behind me.

"Stop it!" I snapped. I whirled around and glared at them.

"Sorry," Pepper whimpered.

"Yeah!" Thunder cut in, "Your tail is so fun to play with!"

I pulled my tail forward. It was ginger, unlike the rest of my white pelt. It was also crooked.

"Ahhh!" I screeched, "What's wrong with my tail?"

Willow purred in amusement, "There's nothing wrong with it. You were just born like that. It's why I named you Lightning. Because your tail looks like a bolt of lightning."

"Cool!" I exclaimed, "Um, what's lightning?"

Flame laughed, "Sometimes, during a storm, a light will shoot across the sky. It's a ziz-zag, just like your tail. Sometimes it hits trees and causes them to catch on fire. Lightning is very dangerous."

"You hear that?" I teased Thunder and Pepper, "I'm dangerous!" I swatted my paw at them, and Pepper yelped. I laughed.

"What's thunder?" my brother asked.

"It's the noise that lightning makes when it goes through the sky. It is a very loud rumble, like a roar almost," Willow explained.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! What does my name mean?" Pepper piped up.

"Pepper is tiny black flecks that Twolegs pour on their food. Just like the black flecks in your fur," said Flame.

Willow stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed.

Flame sighed, "I was a kittypet once."

Thunder fell on his back, laughing. Willow gave him a stern look, and he sat back up, trying to appear as if it had never happened. Pepper sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. I could already tell that I was going to like my family.


	3. Chapter 2 & Create a Cat

A few days later, Flame was trying to teach us how to hunt. Thunder caught on almost immediately. He had perfected the hunter's crouch, and he had already caught his first prey, a mouse. I, however, had a harder time learning. For some reason, I always ended up tripping over my own paws, which was weird because they weren't nearly as big as Thunder's. And, whenever we tried stalking prey through trees or bushes, my tail would catch in a branch, and the noise would scare all the prey away.

Pepper wasn't comfortable with the idea of killing. Instead, Willow pulled her away from our training and taught her about herbs and healing. After awhile, we took a break from hunting practice, and Flame began training us on how to fight.

"Lightning, pounce on your brother," he directed.

I nodded heartily, "I though you'd never ask!"

I ran at Thunder, and he calmly sidestepped out of the way, making me land in a pile of leaves. Pepper laughed. I shook the leaves off my head and smacked her in the face with my paw. She jumped back and let out a yelp. Now it was my turn to laugh.

"Lightning!" Willow shouted sharply, "Don't do that to your sister!"

"Sorry," I replied. To myself, I muttered, "She deserved it."

Flame sighed, "Lightning, try to attack Thunder again, and this time, watch his movements more carefully."

"Okay."

I ran at Thunder again, and I saw him rise onto his hind legs. I quickly flicked his nose with my tail, and he sneezed. Then, I pounced on him and gripped his shoulders with my claws.

"Good job, Lightning!" Flame called enthusiastically, "But keep your claws sheathed during training; you don't want to hurt your brother."

Thunder twitched his whiskers in amusement.

I looked back at Flame and replied, "That's debatable."

He smiled, "Just keep fighting; I want to see how this turns out."

Thunder shoved my chest with his paws, and I fell off, landing on my back. He tried to jump on me, but I kicked him in the stomach with my back legs, knocking the air out of him. Thunder gasped for breath.

"Excellent, beautiful!" Flame cried, "You've got a real knack for fighting, Lightning. I'm impressed."

"Thank you," I purred.

* * *

**I would like for you to send in some cats to be in the Clans when they are finally formed. I can only accept deputies for RiverClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan, and I only need a medicine cat for SkyClan. Personality isn't needed; just give name, rank, and a physical description. I need _about_ 15 warriors, 7 apprentices, and 3 queens for each Clan. Also, no more than 4 elders each. Queens need to have a reasonable number of kits (3 or less).**

**Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Thank you Nightdapple, Wolfgrowl, and Wildwaters for sending in cats. I still need more warriors, apprentices, queens, and elders for each Clan. SkyClan still needs a deputy. If you send in the SkyClan deputy, please make it a she-cat, because all the other deputies are toms so far.**

* * *

A few moons passed. Thunder and I were taking a nap when we heard a loud, terrified yowl from the forest. We hopped up to see a young brown tabby she-cat running away from three fierce looking cats. Her green eyes were wide with fear.

"Help me!" she cried desperately. I immediately ran to fight the other cats. One, a gray tabby tom, swiped at my muzzle, green eyes narrowed. Blood dripped onto the ground. I growled loudly and bit into his foreleg. He tried to shake me loose, but I held on. Nearby, Thunder was battling a thick-furred black she-cat. They were rolling around in the sand, locked in fierce combat. In the distance, I heard Flame's battle cry as he charged into the fray, tackling a black and white tom.

Meanwhile, the gray tom I was fighting kicked my chest with his hind leg. I spat at him and, without thinking, swiped my unsheathed claws across his left eye. He let out a yowl of pain, and I quickly pinned him down. His face was bleeding profusely, but he still managed to snarl at me.

Suddenly, Flame yelled, "Stop! Enough fighting!" I gazed calmly at my opponent while Thunder and the black she-cat instantly froze.

"This battle is over!" my father continued, "What is the meaning of this?"

It was the black she-cat who replied, "_She_ was on our territory!" She pointed towards the pretty tabby she-cat.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was your territory," she meowed timidly, hiding behind me.

Flame nodded. "Shadow," he began, and my eyes widened with surprise. How did he know her name?

"You should go. This little lady didn't mean it. You and your cronies should be on your way."

"Fine!" Shadow growled, "Scruffy, Cedar, let's go!"

"Actually," interrupted Cedar, "I am going to change my name to Scar, so I can remember what _he _did to me." He jerked his chin at me, and I flattened my ears against my head.

Shadow nodded, "Very well. Now can we go? Driane and the others are probably wondering where we are."

She whirled around to leave, with Scruffy and Scar following close behind.

"Oh, thank you!" cried the tabby she-cat, "I thought they were going to turn me into crowfood."

I turned around and meowed, "Well, you're safe now. What's your name?"

She smiled slightly, "I'm Berry. Who are you?"

"I'm Lightning. This is my father, Flame, and my brother, Thunder," I replied.

"It's nice to meet all of you. Do you mind if I stay for a while?"

A purr rumbled in my throat, catching me off guard.

Flame nodded, a knowing look on his face, "Of course you can stay with us, Berry."

On the way back home, I asked Flame, "How did you know Shadow's name?"

He sighed, "She leads a group of cats that live on the other side of the Thunderpath. They are fierce and quick to fight. They react very strongly to trespassers."

"Like Berry?" I asked.

"Exactly like Berry."


	5. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who has sent in cats. ThunderClan does not need any more apprentices, however, if there is one apprentice that you are just dying to have in ThunderClan, I suppose I can make it work. I also don't need any more elders for ThunderClan. Please, keep sending in cats! PS: All of the major roles (leader, deputy, medicine cat) of all 5 Clans are taken.**

* * *

Pepper looked up as we came back home, and she immediately narrowed her eyes at Berry.

"Who is she?" she demanded, rising up on her haunches.

"This is Berry," I explained, "Berry, this is my sister, Pepper."

Berry dipped her head, "Nice to meet you, Pepper."

Pepper nodded slightly and whispered into my ear, "What is she doing here?"

I sighed and shrugged Pepper off my shoulder. "She was being chased by some other cats, and we rescued her."

Pepper narrowed her eyes again and replied, "That was nice of you."

I was confused at how Pepper was acting.

"Berry, can you excuse us for a moment?" I asked.

"Sure. No problem."

I ushered Pepper the other way with my tale. When we got far enough away from Berry, my sister whirled around and glared at me.

"What are you so upset about?" I demanded.

"Other than the fact that you brought some random she-cat home with you? Nothing," she growled.

I stepped back, amused.

"Wait. Are you jealous of Berry?" I teased.

"No!" she spat, "But, I just don't want anyone interfering with our little family group."

"Is that all?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and snorted, "Come on, Lightning; I've seen the way she looks at you. It's disgusting."

My heartbeat quickened. "Really? She's been looking at me?" I glanced in Berry's direction. She was laying in the shade, licking her paw with delicate strokes. I couldn't help but admire her sunlit tabby fur and gorgeous green eyes.

"I see what you're doing," Pepper reminded me.

"So what? I think she's pretty, okay? No big deal."

Pepper rolled her eyes again. "Toms!" she sighed.

I shrugged, then turned back around and padded toward Berry. I laid down next to her and absentmindedly shredded a leaf with my claws. I could feel her green gaze watching me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked to the side. "Sorry, but I have a question. Lightning, are you blind?"

I laughed uneasily, "No, I'm not."

Berry nodded. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"Where is your family, Berry?"

"I was an only kit. I had a sister, but she was stillborn. My father died before I ever met him, and my mother recently got run over on the Thunderpath."

I immediately felt sympathy for her. "I'm really sorry."

She sighed. "It's okay. I'm really glad you saved me though."

I looked down at my paws. "I would have done the same for any cat."

Berry purred, "I'm sure you would."


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: WindClan does not need any more apprentices, and SkyClan does not need any more warriors. **

I woke up to the wind tickling my fur. I slowly blinked my eyes open and looked around. The rest of the family was still asleep. Willow and Flame were curled up together. Thunder was flat on his back, snoring loudly, and Pepper was sleeping on her side, her flanks gently rising and falling. My right side felt cold, and I looked to see that Berry wasn't next to me anymore. I stood up, stretching my legs, and saw the brown tabby sitting at the edge of the ravine, looking across it, her green eyes expressionless.

I padded over to her softly.

"Hello," she mewed.

"Hi," I replied nervously.

"You're up early," Berry commented.

"Not as early as you!" I joked. Berry laughed. The two of us sat silently for a while. Berry kept her gaze focused in front of her. I looked foward and saw a moor far away, with a few scraggly bushes, and long rows of heather. The wind was blowing, making the heather look like a river. Closer by, there was the real river. An idea formed in the back of my mind.

"Hey, Berry!"

"Yeah?"

"I know this really great place near the river where you can sit and just let the sun warm your fur. There are plenty of flat rocks to rest on too. Maybe we should go there sometime," I explained.

Berry turned to look at me and nodded, "I think I'd like that."

* * *

We laid on the rocks, making light conversation.

"Berry, what do you think we should name this place?" I asked.

She thought for a moment. "How about Sunningrocks?" she offered.

"Yes, that sounds good," I agreed. Then I chuckled, "How creative."

Berry snorted, "Whatever!"

Thunder padded over to us. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, a teasing gleam in his eyes

"Oh, just sunning ourselves. Hanging out. Talking," I replied casually.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not," Berry meowed.

Thunder grinned, "Sweet!"

In the distance, I heard a timid voice say, "Um, hello. Is anyone here."

"Yes!" I called, "Show yourself."

A black she-cat stepped out of the bushes. She had icy blue eyes and golden swirl markings on her back.

"Hi," she said pleasantly, "I'm Driane."

I dipped my head, "Nice to meet you. Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm a member of Shadow's gang, across the Thunderpath, and she sent me to spy on you," she admitted.

I rose up on my hackles, neck fur bristling. "You're doing what?" I roared.

Driane whimpered, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it, but Shadow always gets her way. I had no choice!"

I narrowed my eyes at her, snarling.

Suddenly, Thunder spoke up, "Lightning, calm down. Driane apologized. Cut her some slack! She didn't have a choice in the matter!"

I whirled around to face him. "Why are you defending _her_? That little gang of hers is no good. You can't trust her as far as you can throw her!" I snapped.

Now, it was Thunder who was snarling, "Relax. You're just mad because Shadow's gang was trying to hurt Berry. In case you haven't noticed, Lightning, Driane wasn't even there when that happened!"

"So?" I spat, "She's just like all the others! She's no good!"

Driane spoke up again. "I'm sorry. It's not my fault. Shadow is in charge; she has control of everything I do. I don't have a choice. I'm sorry if my gang members attacked your friend, but it's not my fault. I'm sorry!"

With that, she turned around and sprinted away.

**A/N: I'm probably going to put this story on hold for a while. I'm running out of ideas for it, while I have plenty of ideas for other stories. So, I'm going to take a break until I think of something new. But please, keep sending in cats!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: ThunderClan DOES NOT need any more cats. ShadowClan, on the other hand, is in desperate need of all members. RiverClan & WindClan need more cats too, but WindClan only needs a few more warriors. Listen, I know that elders don't pay a major roll in the story, but every Clan needs some. Please send in elders for all Clans, EXCEPT ThunderClan.**

Over the next few moons, Thunder and I barely spoke to each other. When we did, it was over simple things like, "Wake up!" or "We need to hunt." I started to notice that every day, at sunhigh, he would leave, then come back hours later.

One day, I decided to follow him. He padded in the direction of the Thunderpath. I stayed close behind, stalking him through the bushes. He turned around, as if he had heard a noise. I quickly dodged out of his field of vision.

He shrugged and continued onward. I peeked from behind a branch to see him. My jaw dropped open when I saw what was ahead of him.

There were four mighty oaks, surrounding a clearing. In the center was a giant rock. Standing on the rock was a black she-cat, looking down fondly at Thunder with icy blue eyes. I realized that it was Driane, the member of Shadow's gang who had been spying on us at Sunningrocks. Thunder must have been meeting her here for moons! That was why he left every day at sunhigh. He jumped onto the big rock, and Driane nuzzled his chest fur with her head. Thunder purred loudly. I growled, launching myself out of the bushes. Thunder turned his head, and his amber eyes widened in fear.

"Thunder, what are you doing here… with _her_?" I demanded.

Thunder leapt from the rock and stood face to face with me.

"You followed me!" he accused.

"Obviously, I needed to," I retorted, eyes narrowed.

"Lightning!" Driane exclaimed, jumping down to stand next to Thunder, "Why are you so against me and your brother being together? Can't you see, I love him."

I snarled, and Thunder pressed against Driane's side.

"She's right," he meowed, "She loves me, and I love her too. Look, I know you're mad at her gang for trying to kill Berry, but Driane had nothing to do with that. Lightning, are you really going to try to keep me away from the cat that I love, just because her... _acquaintances_ attacked the cat you love?"

I pondered his question, while Thunder and Driane looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"Very well," I complied, "Driane, I still don't completely trust you, but you and Thunder obviously have something special. I'm sorry I wasn't very nice to you."

She dipped her head. "Thank you," she meowed softly. Thunder reached over and rasped his tongue over her ear. Her icy blue eyes lit up, and she let out a loud purr. My heart softened as I watched them, exchanging warm demonstrations of love with each other.

Suddenly, a loud wail split the tranquil silence of the afternoon, followed by low, dark snarling.

"What was that?" Thunder asked, amber eyes wide.

"I don't know," I replied, "Let's find out."

Thunder nodded "Okay. Driane, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting!" she called as we sprinted toward the source of the wail.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: WindClan needs a few more warriors. SkyClan needs more apprentices. ShadowClan needs queens and kits. WindClan, RiverClan, and SkyClan need more elders.**

When we got to the source of the wail, I saw Willow on the ground bleeding heavily, with a snarling badger nearby. Flame was fighting the badger, his amber eyes lit with rage. Pepper was hiding behind a bush, terror in her green eyes. Berry was fighting by Flame's side.

"Willow!" I yowled, bounding towards her.

She looked up wearily. With one final screech of fury, Flame sent the badger running.

"Thunder, Pepper, Lightning," Willow rasped, "I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Mother?" Pepper asked, her eyes clouded.

"The night you three were born, I heard a voice. There wasn't anyone around except our family, and Flame didn't even hear it. It whispered things in my ear, about you three," she paused to take a shallow breath, "When I looked at Thunder, it said, _He will be a leader. _When I looked at Lightning, it said, _He will be a hero. _And when I looked at Pepper, it said, _She will die for one she loves._"

Pepper looked at Willow with horror in her eyes. "I'm going to die?" she whispered.

Willow looked down, unable to look at her daughter's green gaze.

"Willow," Flame whispered urgently, "Stop talking; save your breath."

Her green eyes were fond as she looked up at her mate. "It's too late for me now. I'll miss you."

"Oh, Willow!" Flame cried, "How will I live without you?"

"Be strong. Flame, please, take care of our kits."

Flame nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, I will."

Willow looked up to the sky, and her eyes lit up. "Blizzard?" she whispered, "Is that you?"

She took one last shaky breath, and then her body slumped over, dead. Berry pressed against my side comfortingly, while Flame licked Willow's ear for the last time.

"Farewell, my love," he whispered, intending for no one to hear.

"What am I going to do?" Pepper whimpered, "I'm going to die!"

"Don't worry," I growled, "I won't let you die."

White rings showed around the edges of Pepper's eyes. "I've got to get out of here! The voice said that I will die for one I love. I have to get away; that way, I'm not around the one's I love. And I'll avoid toms altogether!"

"Pepper, you're acting crazy," Thunder meowed.

"Easy for you to say!" she snapped, "You're going to be a great leader. You've got nothing to worry about. I'm going to die!"

"This is nonsense!" I exclaimed.

"No, it's not! I have to leave!"

With that, she ran off. I tried to chase her, but Flame stopped me in my tracks.

"Give up, Lightning. This is her way of coping. She'll be back before we know it."

"Yes," Berry added, "I was traumatized after my mother died; it's completely natural. Pepper will come back."

"Thanks Berry," I meowed, "I believe in you."

"But I don't believe in her," I muttered to myself.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who sent in characters! I'm sorry if I did not use all of them. I also changed some of the names a little bit, like Shadowkit to Shadekit and Skyfeather to Breezefeather. The Create-a-Cat portion of this story is now closed. No more cats! **

Pepper didn't come back the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. We had to face the facts; Pepper was gone for good. Thunder was oddly quiet. It was as if a part of him was missing. I didn't blame him. The loss of Pepper would be a hole in my heart forever.

Over time, Thunder seemed to grow more solemn. He started to show signs of leadership among our little group, despite Flame being the oldest. He spent more time with Driane now too, since I had found out.

Berry was a great comfort to me in those troubling moons, always by my side, ready to help with anything. I was blessed to have such a great friend.

* * *

A huge paw prodded my shoulder. I blinked my eyes open, dazed. I rolled over to see Thunder's face.

"Let's go hunting," he meowed, and I noticed that his voice had gotten deeper and stronger.

I stretched out my legs and yawned, "Sure. Berry, do you want to come."

"No!" Thunder interrupted, "Just you, Lightning."

I shrugged. "Okay."

"Bye!" Berry called as we left.

"Why did you need me alone, Thunder?" I asked.

"I didn't want Berry to see this," he replied. He kept his amber gaze focused in front of him.

"To see what?"

"Just follow me," Thunder growled. I knew better than to argue with him.

There was a thick wall of bushes. "It's right through here," Thunder meowed. As we broke through the undergrowth, I froze, horrified at the sight in front of us. A tortoiseshell and white she-cat, a queen by the looks of it, was sprawled across the ground with a large gash in her belly. The scent of death was thick in the air.

Nearby, there was a big white tom, almost Thunder's size, with his leg caught in a Twoleg contraption that looked like a giant set of jaws, complete with razor-sharp teeth, glinting dark silver in the sunlight. The tom groaned, obviously in pain. His blue eyes were wide and pleading as he looked at us. I crouched down to his level.

"What's your name?" I asked gently.

"Sky," he moaned.

"And who's she?" I motioned with my tail to the she-cat.

"That is… -was my mate, Shakra," he replied, "You've got to help me. Our kits could get eaten by foxes if I don't get back to them."

"Don't worry," Thunder spoke up, "We'll get you out of here. I'm very sorry about your loss."

Sky sniffed, "I'll miss her so much. We've known each other since we were kits."

Thunder stalked around the contraption, eyeing it carefully. He studied the back before meowing, "I know what to do. I'm going to open up the trap, and when my tail brushes your flank, you pull your leg out immediately. Got it, Sky?"

The white tom nodded. Thunder bent down and gripped part of the trap with his teeth. He ran his tail across Sky's flank, and Sky yanked his leg away before the heavy jaws clamped shut around empty air. Sky rose to his feet, although his hind leg was out of place.

"Do you think your leg will be okay, Sky?" I asked.

He shook out his ruffled neck fur and replied hoarsely, "I think so. I probably just need to walk on it." He gingerly placed his paw on the ground. "See?" he purred, "Good as new!"

Thunder padded up beside him. "Would you mind if we escort you home, Sky? With that injured leg, you're still vulnerable."

Sky nodded. "Thank you. I would like my kits to meet the cats who saved my life."

I dipped my head. "You're quite welcome. You lead the way."

Sky and Thunder strode side-by-side, while I held up the rear, glancing over my shoulder every once in a while. It felt wrong to leave Shakra's body to turn into crowfood. Maybe Thunder and I would bury it when we came back.

"So Sky," Thunder meowed, "What happened to you and Shakra?"


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Special treat! Instead of having Sky tell Thunder and Lightning his story, we're going to go back in time to when it actually happened. Bear with me, and enjoy the ride!**

3rd Person POV

"Sneeze, Snake," Sky meowed, beckoning to his friends with his tail, "Can you watch our kits while Shakra and I go hunting?"

The pale brown she-cat, Sneeze, padded up to stand beside the gray and black tom, Snake.

"Of course," she replied cheerfully, "They'll be perfectly safe with us."

Snake dipped his head. "You can count on us," he meowed solemnly, his silver eyes respectful. Sneeze and Snake's son, Falcon, bounded up to Sky.

"Can I come to?" he asked hopefully. His green eyes were shining, and he kneaded the ground with his white paws.

Sneeze narrowed her amber eyes at her son. "Don't you have a nest to pull brambles out of?" she teased. The small gray-brown tom whipped around in surprise.

"How did you know about that?" he demanded.

"Mothers know everything," she replied simply. Snake let out a rusty purr.

"Take care, you guys!" Sky called, as he and Shakra made their way toward the forest.

* * *

Shakra spotted a mouse in a bush in front of her. She stalked up to it, a gleam in her green eyes. Without a second thought, she pounced, killing the rodent with a quick bite to the neck.

"Good job," Sky purred from behind his mate.

She lifted her head up, the mouse clamped in her jaws. "Thank you," she mumbled, though it sounded more like, "Fang grlu." Sky chuckled.

As the two cats continued onward, Sky saw a bird sitting in a tree branch.

"Look," he whispered to Shakra, pointing towards the bird with his tail. He took a few steps back, then jumped, his strong hind legs pushing off the ground with ease. He swiped at the bird with unsheathed claws. It let out a cry of dismay, while Sky hooked one sharp claw through its neck. The bird's voice died down as blood dripped out of the wound. Sky jumped down from the tree with a successful _plop._

Shakra dropped the mouse, and nuzzled up to her mate. "Good catch," she murmured into his ear. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from behind the tortoiseshell she-cat. A badger burst out of the bushes. Sky and Shakra both whirled around to face it. Shakra raked her claws across the badger's face, causing it to roar in rage.

Sky took a step back, ready to spring onto the badger's back. Soon after, he let out an ear-splitting screech. His leg had gotten caught in a fox trap. Shakra looked back, momentarily forgetting the badger to make sure Sky was okay. The badger lunged, its long, deadly claws down her belly. She fell, and blood spilled onto the ground. The badger snorted, then lumbered away.

"Shakra!" Sky cried, "No, Shakra, you can't die. Our kits need you. I need you!"

"I'm sorry Sky. It's no use. Tell the kits I love them."

"Shakra, you can't leave me," Sky begged.

"Peace," she murmured, "We will meet again. I promise."

Shakra's flanks rose and fell one more time, then stopped, her spirit lost to him forever.

"I'll never know another cat quite like you, Shakra," Sky whispered, "I'll never forget you, and I'll make sure the kits never forget you either. _That_ is my promise."

He heard a rustling in the bushes, and looked up. A large ginger tom padded forward, his amber eyes wide with worry.

"W-wh-who are you?" Sky stuttered.

"Thunder," the tom replied.

"Please help me. My leg is stuck in this fox trap."

Thunder nodded. "Okay. I'll be right back. I'm going to get my brother, Lightning."

"Oh, thank you," Sky breathed.

"One more thing," Thunder meowed, "When Lightning comes, don't say anything about his tail. He doesn't like having attention drawn to it." Sky nodded.

Thunder whisked around and trotted off into the other direction. Sky rested his head on his paws. He hoped that Thunder would come back, and soon.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: WOW! I am an updating maniac! Hopefully, I'll update **_**Wisps of Smoke **_**soon too. And remember people, ****NO**** more cats.**

Back to Lightning's POV

After Sky finished his story, we walked in silence. The air was heavy with a sense of sadness and guilt.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Sky kept his blue gaze fixed on the ground. "It's okay," he meowed, "It's not your fault. Oh, Sneeze and Snake are going to be devastated!"

"Are they your kits?" Thunder asked.

Sky shook his head. "No, they're my friends."

"Ah," Thunder replied.

We eventually made it to a small dip in the ground. "This is where we live," Sky announced. A pale brown she-cat padded up, her pretty amber eyes shining. "This is Sneeze." She was followed by a gray and black tom, who had white specks like snowflakes in his fur, and silver eyes that matched my own. "And this is her mate, Snake. Sneeze, Snake these are some cats I met, Thunder and Lightning."

A dark gray-brown tom raced forward on swift white paws. "I'm their son, Falcon!" he meowed eagerly.

"Where's Shakra?" Snake asked.

"She-," Sky's voice cracked, "She got killed by a badger."

Sneeze's head jerked up. "My sister got killed by a badger?" she echoed, "And you didn't save her? What kind of mate are you, Sky?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Sky shouted, revealing his teeth in a snarl of unspeakable rage, "I got my leg caught in a fox trap, and I couldn't save her. But do you think I didn't try? Do you think I didn't care? Well that's where you're wrong, Sneeze. I would have given anything for it to have been me instead of her; I really would have. But some things can't be undone. I'm sorry Sneeze. Shakra meant a lot to all of us, and I wish more than anything that she was still here."

Sneeze was left dumbstruck. After a moment of silence, she nodded slowly. "Very well," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Snake padded forward and rested his tail over her shoulders. Sneeze buried her face in his chest fur, saying nothing.

Sky turned to us. "Thunder, Lightning," he meowed, "I want you to meet my kits."

We followed him further back into the den. There was a small nest, where two half-asleep kits were laying.

"Wake up," Sky whispered. Both kits stirred, looking up at us with two pairs of amber eyes. One was a golden brown tabby, and the other was white, with ginger ears and paws. She also had a ginger patch over one eye.

"These are my daughters, Thorn and Bright."

"I'm Bright!" the ginger and white one yelped. Thunder purred in amusement.

"Where's Mother?" Thorn asked. She seemed to be much more calm and softspoken than her sister.

Sky's blue eyes softened. "I'll tell you later," he meowed, his voice flat.

"Who are they?" Bright asked, looking at me and Thunder with wide eyes.

"This is Thunder and Lightning. They were um-, helping me with something earlier."

"What happened to your tail?" Bright blurted out, staring straight at me.

"Bright!" Sky snapped, "You shouldn't ask questions like that. It's rude."

I purred. "It's okay. She's just a kit," I turned to face Bright, "I was born with it like that. It's the reason I have my name, Lightning."

"Cool," she whispered.

Sky turned back to us. "Well thank you so much for helping me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

Thunder flattened his ears against his head in embarrassment. "No, it's quite alright," he meowed, "We just want to help"

Sky nodded. "Well thank you again. I hope we can be friends."

"Don't worry," I spoke up, feeling as if someone was telling me what to say, "We'll be your allies forever." As Thunder and I left, I became aware of the seriousness of my promise. I hoped I would be able to carry it out.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Good news! Rainleaf-Snowflash-Rainy-Snowy is going to continue **_**Wisps of Smoke**_** for me. I gave her the basic plotline, and I hope she begins soon! Please look for it.**

We traveled home, stopping at the sight of Shakra's death.

"We should bury her body," I meowed. Thunder nodded in agreement. As we started digging, rain began to fall from the sky, adding an extra layer of gloom to an already tragic scene. Water dripped from Thunder's nose, like teardrops. By the time Shakra's tortoiseshell fur was hidden under the earth, we were soaked to the bone.

"L-l-l-let's g-g-go h-home!" Thunder chattered, shivering from the cold.

"Agreed."

When we finally arrived, Berry was staring at us with wide green eyes.

"Where were you?" she asked, "Your paws are covered in mud, and you're both soaking wet!"

Thunder glanced over to me, and I nodded. Berry needed to know.

"We were burying a body," Thunder explained, "There was a dead she-cat by a tree back there, and we felt like we needed to bury her."

"What about prey?" Berry asked, "You don't seem to be carrying any."

"We had to leave it when it started raining," I lied, "Sorry."

She purred. "It's fine. You were doing the right thing."

I curled my lip. "You have no idea," I whispered, half to myself. Berry looked at me critically before pressing her fur into mine.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she murmured. I licked the top of her head fondly.

"You're great, you know that?"

She smiled. "I do now."

I growled at her playfully.

"Well, you two lovebirds enjoy yourselves," Thunder smirked.

"Oh, we will," Berry purred gruffly, catching me off guard. An unusual look sparked in her green eyes. Thunder padded away, not noticing the un-Berrylike response.

"It's getting late," I yawned, "Let's go to sleep."

"Actually," she whispered, "I was thinking we could have a little fun tonight."

"What kind of fun?" I asked.

She rubbed her head against the bottom of my chin, giving me a chance to inhale her sweet scent.

"You'll see."


End file.
